ORCHARD PARK – Based on how Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane answered questions Wednesday regarding the status of Kyle Williams, it seems as if his potential return won’t be as cut and dry as we think.

Williams is eligible to become a free agent March 14, and all along it seemed like the ball was in Williams’ court. If he decided against retiring, the Bills would be happy to bring back their heart and soul leader on, at the very least, a one-year contract.

But that wasn’t necessarily the vibe the Bills’ leaders exuded at the NFL Scouting Combine.

“We’ve been in communication with him and his agent (David Dunn),” said Beane. “Hopefully we’ll get something done sooner rather than later. But it takes two. He’s got to do his due diligence; we do as well. So yeah, at some point there would be a we-need-to-know. I’m sure they’re feeling the same thing on their end.”

Beane went on to explain that Williams has to fit properly into the salary structure for 2018, and with several areas of need that may have to be addressed in free agency, it may not be a slam dunk that the Bills would take the 34-year-old Williams back. Last year, he counted $8.3 million against the Bills’ salary cap, making him the team’s sixth-highest paid player.

“We have to put a value on Kyle, on his ability,” said Beane. “You can’t just give him a blank check and say what you come back and play for. He could say, ‘You know what, I don’t want to play for that,’ or, ‘I think I’m this.’ He is a free agent (so) another team could offer him something that is just something that he can’t turn down.”

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane, left, and head coach Sean McDermott, would love to have Kyle Williams back, but the money has to be right.(Photo: Jeffrey T. Barnes, AP)

Money aside, McDermott acknowledged what Williams meant to him last season, his first as a head coach in the NFL.

“You know how I feel about Kyle and what he’s meant to our community in Buffalo over the years and what he’s meant to our football team,” McDermott said. “He meant a lot to me this past season in connecting my message to the locker room at different points throughout the year. So, the leadership part of that was big for us. These things will work themselves out over time.”

Will Preston Brown leave town?

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The Bills may not be able to retain free agent linebacker Preston Brown.(Photo: JAMIE GERMANO, @jgermano1/Staff Photographer)

Preston Brown made some news the other day when he tweeted out that he believes he could help the rival New England Patriots defense if he hits free agency. That didn’t sit real well with Bills’ fans, but if the Bills don’t re-sign him, he’s free to look for work anywhere, even the Evil Empire.

Brown led the NFL in tackles in 2017 with 144, and he has been a valuable member of the Buffalo defense all four of his seasons since being a third-round pick in 2014, whether it was Doug Marrone, Rex Ryan, or McDermott as the head coach.

“Preston is a good player,” McDermott said of Brown, who has started 58 consecutive games and has never missed a game in his pro career. “It was good for me to get with Preston this past season and have him control our defense. He really did some nice things.”

If the Bills don’t bring him back, they have a big hole to fill in the middle of their defense. McDermott said that second-year pro Matt Milano, normally the weak side linebacker, could move to the middle, but he’d rather keep him on the outside. Linebacker will be fun to watch both in free agency and the draft.

Why was Vontae Davis signed?

The Bills believe Vontae Davis can step right in and become a starter at cornerback.(Photo: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)

The Bills made what appears to be a solid move the other day, signing the nine-year veteran free agent cornerback. Because he’d been released last year by the Colts, Davis was eligible to be signed before the official free agency period, similar to what the Bills did in 2015 when they signed Richie Incognito in February.

“He has a lot of benefits, a lot of which have been talked about already,” said McDermott. “A veteran player that fits into our system. He has a number of starts, obviously, and ball production. That said, every spot on our roster has to be earned and he’ll embrace that mindset.”

Davis was a 2009 first-round draft pick of the Dolphins who played three years in Miami and parts of six years in Indianapolis. He has 112 career starts and 22 interceptions.

“He’s obviously been a No. 1 corner most of his career,” said Beane. “Last year I know he had the injury. We vetted him out, did a lot of research. ... We brought him in and had a good visit. He brings size, speed, experience.”

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Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott says it's too early in the season to take anything off the table at quarterback other than cutting Tyrod Taylor.
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McDermott envisions him playing on the outside, essentially taking over for E.J. Gaines who is expected to sign elsewhere. “We do have some flex with Vontae and Tre’Davious," McDermott said. "At this point in the year, really nothing is off the table, whether it’s schematically, personnel-wise.”

Beane isn’t closing the door on Gaines returning, saying, “We’re still open to bringing E.J. back, for sure. Signing Vontae does not mean it’s the end of the road for E.J. here in Buffalo.”